Overview
- Sanju Samson has been left out of India’s XI for the last two T20Is in Australia, with Jitesh Sharma preferred as the specialist wicketkeeper-batter in the middle order.
- Mohammad Kaif says Samson’s omission stems from Shubman Gill’s elevation to T20 vice-captain, which has effectively guaranteed Gill an opening berth.
- Kaif argues India’s move toward role-specific selection favors Jitesh’s finishing skills at No. 5–6 despite Samson’s strong recent record and ~150 strike rate as an opener.
- Sadagoppan Ramesh likened the Abhishek Sharma–Gill pairing to a “storm” and a “table-fan,” warning India risk over-reliance on Abhishek to power the early overs.
- Gill’s T20 returns remain uneven since his promotion, with 103 runs in four innings in Australia without a fifty, prompting calls to test Yashasvi Jaiswal or restore Samson at the top before the 2026 home World Cup.